


This Might Be Closure

by John_Q_Sample



Category: Hello Neighbor (Video Game)
Genre: Demolition, Gen, Mentioned Character Death, friends - Freeform, mentioned child death, neighborhood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 13:18:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20426627
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Q_Sample/pseuds/John_Q_Sample
Summary: Nicky's recovering, and he feels that the demolition of Mr. Peterson's old house might be the last thing he needs to get over it completely.





	This Might Be Closure

Nicky has a job near Raven Brooks. It's not his dream job, but it's relatively low-stress and allows him to buy food and save money to fix up his old house.

The house across the street remains the empty husk of a home that Nicky had discovered when he first came back. Not once does it revert to the massive building that occurred in that...nightmare, was it?

That's another thing. Ever since that night he had escaped the house, Nicky has been plagued with chronic nightmares. And they're all gone now. In fact, he hasn't dreamed at all since his first night back in Raven Brooks.

It's not that he's entirely healed. No, he still has his panic attacks and the occasional flashback. But he's better now. His therapist, a new one he looked up before he even moved back here (since he knew that returning home would totally mess him up), suggests that this might be a sign of him moving on, recovering.

He hopes so, but he still feels like there's something left to do.

Later Nicky hears that the house is to be torn down soon. He assumes that must be the thing he's missing and waits out on the steps leading up to his front door to watch as the now rotting wooden beams are being taken down.

A few people come out of their houses to watch, too. The house has history. Even bad history is interesting to them. Besides, it's Saturday, so most of them, including Nicky, are off work already.

Nicky watches with a growing sense of trepidation a figure that's backing up towards his house. Still watching the demolition, but trying to keep a safe distance. Still, Nicky doesn't usually have people over, and unlike most of the people here, he doesn't recognize this new guy.

Trying not to get paranoid, Nicky just gets down from the steps and heads closer. The guy glances at him, then snaps his gaze back towards the house.

Nicky tries not to stare, and fails.

Eyes wide, Nicky whispers, fearing what would happen if he's wrong, "Aaron?"

Betraying himself, Aaron whips around and gasps at him. "Nicky?"

"You're here!"

Before he can even think about what he's doing, Nicky lurches forward and hugs Aaron. He freezes, then after a slow moment of hesitation, reciprocates.

"I'm not moving back," Aaron says.

"No, I totally get it."

"I just wanted to watch." He gestures towards the house. Then he shoves his hands in the pocket. "Uh, Mya's still...there."

Nicky recalls the coffin he discovered and winces. "May her memory be a blessing. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault. They're gonna make it a park anyway. Which is cool. Put a little...little memorial and stuff." He scrubs at his eyes.

Aaron looks tired. Also dangerously skinny and slouching with a heavy, invisible weight on his shoulders. Nicky catches himself staring again.

"Uh, so where have you been?"

"Around," Aaron says with a shrug. "Dad tried to take us out of here, but I just ran away and went to live with my aunt. Haven't seen him since."

"That's good," Nicky says, "I think...?"

"I dunno. I feel like he'd be pissed at me if we ever saw each other again. But, um. He didn't like being alone." Aaron frowns, furrowing his brow. He scuffs his shoe against the grass. "I hate him. A lot. But sometimes I still feel bad. Like I hurt him."

"Well he had a pretty crappy way of dealing with it," Nicky says.

Aaron snickers. "You're telling me!"

"Hey, uh. When I moved back here, I...saw him? Sort of?"

Aaron glances at him. "Wait, for real?"

"No, it was like a nightmare, I think. But the house was back, and, you, well, you know."

Aaron makes a face. "Sounds like a nightmare to me. He catch you again?"

"Uh...no, actually. I went into the basement this time."

Then there was the part where reality was genuinely brought into question. He felt that he could believe the house returning so quickly and the mannequins, _somehow_, but when it came to the ending of his dream, that's when he began to realize that this might not have been as real as he thought. Never explained how real it _felt_, though.

"Good for you," Aaron says.

Nicky crosses his arms as the hair on the back of his neck raises. "Hey, are you safe right now?"

"Eh, yeah. I have a place a few hours away from here. Just made the trip 'cause I heard of what was happening here. I'll be going back soon as I can."

"I mean, if you want, we could hang out."

Aaron arches an eyebrow. "Dude, I dunno how you can even live here."

"Well, I kind of got evicted from my apartment. But my parents always kept this place since we could never sell it."

"Figures." He scratches at the side of his face and considers the proposition, while keeping his saddened gaze on the ground. He sighs.

"Yeah, I guess we should hang out," Aaron says finally. "I was wanting to talk to Mya alone anyway, and I'm gonna have to wait for that anyway."

"Got it."

Aaron puts his arm around Nicky in a one-handed hug. Their little moment is interrupted by a sudden crash from one of the pieces of wood collapsing. It's peaceful in its own destructive way.

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this in slightly over 30 min before heading to class just to get my ideas out. i've been wondering if it's even realistic for the characters but i wanted to try writing it anyway (so i could at LEAST stop thinking about it lol). thx 🤟


End file.
